Fish-plate fastening



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W. S. GRUBB.

FISH PLATE PASTENING. i No. 317,531. Patented May 12, 1885.

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1WILLIAM S.-GRUBB, OF BARABOO, VISCONSIN.

FISH-PLATE FASTENING.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,531, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed January 3l, 1885. (No niodeLr To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM S. GRUBB, of Baraboo, county of Sauk,and State of VVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish-Plate Fastenings, of which the following isafull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has relation to fastenings for the plates applied upon or in connection with the meeting ends of railway-rails, and ordinarily known as fish-plates.77 Here'tofore these islrplates have been ordinarily secured to the rails by bolts passingthroughthe plates and rails, various forms of nuts and lock-nuts being applied with a view to preventing accidental disarrangement. The perforations re! quired weaken the plates and the rails, and the security and support required are not always afforded.

The object of my invention is to secure the plates in a thorough manner without requiring perforations in either the rails or the plates. This I accomplish by employing one or two chairs at each joint, the same being made to pass under the rail and to extend up on each side thereof, so as to afford a bearing against the plate on one side and so as to sustain a Wedge or key,which can be jammed up tightly against the plate on the other side, and my improvements involve certain novel and uscful peculiarities of construction and relative arrangements or combinations of parts, all of which will be herein iirst fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, Figure l is a side elevation, Fig. 2 atop or plan view, Fig. 3 a crosssec'tion through the middle of.` the chair, and Fig. 4 an end elevation, all showing my improvements applied in connection with the meeting ends of'railwaya'ails. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and S are views similar to Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, showing the wedge inclined on its inner edge, instead of on its outer edge, as in previous iigures,omitting the locking-block and showing a wearing-plate between the wedge and the fish-plate.

In all these figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts.

A is the railway-rail or track, the joints in which are to be supported and secured. B B are the fish-plates, one on each side of the joint. C is a chair, of iron, made amply strong, one end of which is fashioned so as to enter aslight rei the fish-plateisaperforated lug or projection,

b, through which the neck d passes and aga-inst which the nut a is made to bear. The wedge D bears against the iish-plate and against the chair in a manner which will be readily-nir derstood. By turning the nut the pressure of the wedge may be increased to any desired extent.

In Fig. 2 the wedge is shown as inclined on its outer edge or side, the bearing-face of the chair being correspondingly inclined and the inner face of the wedge being straight. In Fig. 6 the outer edge or side of the wedge is shown as straight, while the inner face is inclined, as isalso the channel in the fish-plate, as indicated by dotted lines. In both forms the principle of operation is the same.

At e, Fig. 7, is apiece of soft iron or metal, applied between the wedge and the iish-plate,to afford a perfectly secure joint. This might be omitted, if desired.

Atf, Figs. l and 2, is a locking-block, slotted longitudinally, passing over a threaded bolt, g, and held in place by a nut, h. The inner face of this block and the adjacent part of the fish-plate are preferably furrowed, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, to preventany slipping. Then the wedge is drawn tightly to place, the locking-block is moved up against the end thereof` and secured. By this means the wedge is prevented from slipping back and the parts thereby thoroughly locked in place.

I have shown a single fastening applied at the joint, and this is the preferred construe tion, but obviously one chair might be located near one end of the plate and another near the other end, the wedges being made to draw in opposite directions.

In this method of fastening the fish-plates and thus securing the joints in the rails, ex-

pansion and contraction of the rails will not injuriously affect the security of the joints, and the cutting or punching of oblong slots in the plates or the perforating ofthe rails for the passage of bolts is entirely obviated.

The threaded portions of the Wedges extend in the direction of the length of the rails, and the nuts thereon are not liable to be jarred loose, as in eases where the bolts pass through the rails.

The plates may be made shorter than in other constructions, and still afford all the desired stability and security, Without any material increase in the oost of construct-ion and application.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Inafish-plate fastening,the chair extending under the rails and up on both sides and the Wedge bearing against one, plate and against the chair-,said wedgehaving a. threaded neck and nut, and a bearing for the nut,these parts being arranged and combined substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. Theeonibinatioinwiththelongitudinallymoving Wedge, the chair, and the fish-plate, of the adj ustable looking-block, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The eombinatiomwiththetWosh-plates, of the ehair passing under the rails, one part entering a recess in the plate on one side and the other part having aseat for the Wedge,tl1e Wedge bearing against the second plate, the nut, and the bearing therefor, arranged substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that elaini the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

Vi-l'l. S. GRUBB.

XV itnesses:

JOHN BUCKLER, XTORTH OSGOOD. 

